How Reviews Matter When Hiring a Transcription Company

Julie Parker

5/7/2012

The Internet has recently embarked on a collection spree, gathering aged consumer values, repackaging them and putting them in its own basket. Yesterday, when choosing a transcription service, we'd consult our neighbors and friends for recommendations. Today, 85% of us consult online reviews instead.

Clients requiring a transcription service demand a guarantee of accuracy. Important words and statements in audio files cannot be undermined by those substituting human intellect with voice recognition software. There's little wonder that 89% of consumers are swayed by positive reviews they read online.

Friends simply cannot supply context. While most viewers are deterred by three negative reviews, a few complaints hovering amongst thirty recommendations are likely to be seen as extraneous. On the other hand, one complimentary recommendation from a friend supplies little perspective. It's difficult to gather a range of word of mouth reviews about one company, which means one recommendation offers little realism. The web supplies turbocharged authenticity in the form of a number of reviews for a range of companies. This is exactly why we are more likely to trust a company with 100 4-star reviews over a competitor with 15 5-star reviews. Power in numbers, right?

If a friend used a transcription company for personal reasons and I am a physician, her recommendation is trivial to me. The questions I am asking are, "Does the transcription service adequately transcribe medical terms?" and "Was the deadline met?" Similarly, the CEO asks whether the identity of meeting attendants was accurately noted. My friend can't answer these questions. She recommends according to staff friendliness, not according to absolute knowledge on the subject.

The Internet supplies a shroud behind which 46% of reviewers feel able to be brutally candid; something they're less capable of in interpersonal communication. At the same time, few online reviewers attempt to influence readers in their choices. This makes cyber reviews more trustworthy than interpersonal reviews, and very important for businesses. When we ask people to write a short GMR Transcription review, we do so because we feel we provided excellent service and want to garner more online support for our company. And we are extremely fortunate to have such an amazing list of clients and team of transcriptionists that it has not been too difficult to do.

Furthermore, 71% of savvy consumers disbelieve – or disregard rather – what a transcription service expounds about itself. Claims of high turnaround time or willingness to adapt to specific needs are just noise to consumers; everyone says that. Almost all of them trust cyber-data, though.

The Internet basket provides a collection of features consumers didn't have access to before. As a result 97% of those who choose a transcription company based on online reviews are gratified with their selection. Few words satisfactorily supply a simile for those numbers.

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Julie Parker

Julie Parker is the Transcription Supervisor for GMR Transcription Services, Inc, a leading U.S. transcription company based in Orange County, California. Julie has a true passion for effective verbal and written communication. She applies her passion to providing the excellent customer service and accuracy upon which GMR Transcription's clients depend. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and children, watching movies, and hosting dinner parties with friends.